Tuesday, 29 September 2015

The Christian Institute is planning to lead a challenge to the government’s new “Extremism Disruption Orders” (EDOs) joining the National Secular Society in a campaign called Defend Free Speech.

The EDOs are similar to Tony Blair’s infamous Anti-Social Behaviour
Orders (ASBOs), but target perceived extremist, rather that anti-social,
behaviour. The orders, which featured in the Tory manifesto, would allow police
to apply to the High Court for the power to restrict the movement and
freedoms of people they deem to be extremists.

At the beginning of August, Tory MP Mark Spencer, admitted: “EDOs… would apply to a situation where a teacher was specifically teaching that gay marriage is wrong.”

“I think there is in some parts of
government a phenomenal ignorance about civil liberties and about
religious freedom. They’re talking about having a list of state-approved
religious leaders. These ostensibly are designed to help
tackle the rise of terrorism, but the problem is from what we’ve heard
so far from the government they’re going to be drafted so widely that
they could actually be used to cut across the freedom of speech of all
kinds of ordinary people…

“I think there is a genuine fear that
Extremism Disruption Orders will be drafted so broadly you could end up
with people you and I respect in the Christian community and having an
EDO slapped on them.”

Defend Free Speech campaigners believe that anyone, from Trade Union
members to environmentalists and public servants who disagree with the
liberal orthodoxy – such as teachers unsure about same sex marriage –
could be targeted

Lord Ahmad, Minister for Countering Extremism, said:

“The Government’s counter extremism
strategy will not restrict anyone’s freedom of speech or right to
practise their faith. These are two of the core values underpinning
British society that extremists wish to undermine and which our strategy
will seek to promote and protect.

“Our Counter-Extremism Bill will
introduce measures focused specifically on protecting people from the
most persistent extremist groups and individuals who promote hatred and
stir up divisions within a community. We will use these powers in a highly
targeted way to deal with a small number of individuals and
organisations who we believe are the facilitators and catalysts for
extremism, with strong safeguards so that the powers are only used where
it is clearly in the public interest and approved by a court.”

Earlier this year, a Christian school in Durham was forced to close during the crackdown following the Trojan Hoarse scandal.
Hardcore Salafi Islamists had infiltrated state schools in Birmingham,
but the government chose to persecute a peaceful, otherwise tolerant
Christian school hundreds of miles away.